Jobs take center stage at 14th Worcester District debate

Jobs, and how to create them, were the focus of the three candidates for the 14th Worcester state representative district last night.

Rep. James J. O’Day, D-West Boylston, was the target of Republican William J. McCarthy and independent Winthrop Handy at a forum sponsored by The Banner at the Town Hall.

Mr. McCarthy said Mr. O’Day’s votes for tax increases and his proposal to increase the income tax are exactly the wrong thing to do to businesses fighting off a recession. Mr. Handy, who owns a small business, said the Legislature approved money to save the jobs of police, firefighters and teachers, instead of aiming its aid at small business.

Mr. O’Day also identified jobs as a top priority, and said the jobs bill passed this year helps small business and provides well- paying jobs to build the infrastructure.

Mr. Handy supports building two casinos at the Worcester Airport, and an access road along Route 56 to get there, to create jobs.

What little acrimony the forum provided was between Mr. O’Day and Mr. McCarthy, who is a professor of criminal justice at Quinsigamond Community College. Mr. McCarthy, the only Worcester resident in a contest comprising West Boylston and the northern sector of Worcester, said Mr. O’Day’s support for an increased income tax would hurt business, and increased sales, capital gains, and gasoline taxes all would hurt individuals, especially the elderly.

He also promised to sit down with small-business people, who he said are the job creators in a state with no manufacturing, and ask them what they need.

That produced an angry response from Mr. O’Day, who said he never agreed to an increased gasoline tax. He also said he was surprised to hear Mr. McCarthy say that nothing is made in Massachusetts anymore when, he said, the manufacturing sector is making a comeback

The incumbent said if people want improved schools and other services then “we can not just cut and cut and cut.” He said the 1-penny increase in the sales tax is to preserve the state’s quality of life.

Mr. McCarthy said that while he could agree with some of Mr. O’Day’s proposals a few years ago to improve services, “what we need right now is economic triage.”

Mr. Handy and Mr. McCarthy both accused Mr. O’Day of doing too little in the failed fight to get West Boylston mitigation money from the state for hosting the jail and house of correction. In a conservative turn, Mr. O’Day said such mitigation money proved too expensive for the state when many communities host jails.

On the ballot questions, Mr. McCarthy said he was against both the measure to allow doctors to assist in suicide for terminally-ill patients and the one to allow use of medical marijuana, while the other two candidates said they would vote for them.